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In-app subscriptions found their way to Google Playthis May, and now the folks in Mountain View are letting Android developers offer them with free trials. In order to make use of the freebie spans, you'll have to fork over your payment information to Page and Co. as if it were a run-of-the-mill purchase, but you won't get hit with the monthly fee until the dev-determined trial stretch is over. Developers looking to serve up samples of their episodic content can set a trial period that's at least seven days or longer right within the Developer Console, which means they can add the gratis option or alter its length without having to modify their apps. If the duration of the gratis subscription is changed, the tweak will only apply to new subscribers.

Finnish game studio Rovio went from relatively unknown to center stage with the Angry Birds franchise. And in record time, too -- the first Angry Birds landed on Apple's iOS App Store in December 2009, less than three years ago, and has since become an international sensation. The birds spawned a flock of sequels, branded tie-ins, and tons of merchandise. All this adds up to quite a bit of chicken scratch for Rovio, and also quite a bit of pressure to keep the money train rolling.

Today marks Rovio's first true sequel to the original Angry Birds, and it's focused on the other side of the farm: the pigs. Enter Bad Piggies. Unlike Angry Birds, Bad Piggies isn't about flinging anything towards a complicated structure in order to knock it down. Instead, it's about moving one very green, goofy sounding pig to various points on a map to collect items and reach a goal -- it's much more Cut the Rope than Angry Birds. The same physics-based game mechanics are at play in Bad Piggies that made both Cut the Rope and Angry Birds so popular, and they're just as fun in this time around. But how do you get said piggy to the goals? You build a contraption, of course.

Each level starts with a build section, allowing players to create all types of vehicles in order to transport the pig from point A to point B (while grabbing collectibles along the way). Only a small handful of build options are available, keeping Bad Piggies just as speedy of a game -- to pick up and play while commuting or while waiting at the dentist's office -- as its wildly successful progenitor. It's hard to say if Bad Piggies will recapture the success that Rovio found with Angry Birds proper, but all the hallmarks are there: quick, fun gameplay, colorful characters, goofy sounds, and accessibility (we couldn't help but get all three stars on every level, but you don't have to in order to proceed, should it prove too difficult). Bad Piggies launches tomorrow morning for iOS devices, Mac, and Android.

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androidandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketplaceapp storeAppStorebad piggiesBadPiggieshands-onitunesmacmobilepostcrossroviorovio entertainmentRovioEntertainmentWed, 26 Sep 2012 08:20:00 -040021|20333722http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/eric-schmidt-android-will-be-bigger-than-ios/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/eric-schmidt-android-will-be-bigger-than-ios/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/eric-schmidt-android-will-be-bigger-than-ios/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsEric Schmidt was addressing the crowd at Le Web in Paris and recounted a tale when an Android user asked why apps were often written for iOS first, and then ported over to Google's OS. His response? "My prediction is that six months from now, you'll say the opposite." After the uncomfortable silence had died down, he added that Android's "open" model meant the company had volume on its side -- and volume is what he feels will attract developers. He added that Ice Cream Sandwich would redress Android's device fragmentation and the sheer number of hardware makers would ensure that 2012 would be Google's year. At which point, everyone in the audience probably went back to their iPads to read Twitter.

If you've been getting bored with that stale version of DoubleTwist you're sporting, get ready for a breath of fresh air. The company has announced the next major version of its music player now awaits Android faithul in the Marketplace -- and will hit the Amazon Appstore later in the week. New features include a new grid view for album art, premium EQ (if you're running Android 2.3 or higher), an AirSync storage location option and a new playback screen which enables sliding to see previous / upcoming tracks. If you're still not impressed, DoubleTwist promises another update in December that will be similar in stature. Take a look after the break for a few more screen shots, should you need more convincing and get ready to show off all of those Ben Folds album covers.

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amazonamazon appstoreAmazonAppstoreandroidandroid appandroid applicationandroid appsandroid marketplaceAndroidAppAndroidApplicationAndroidAppsAndroidMarketplaceappapplicationdoubletwistgooglemobilepostcrossmp3mp3 playerMp3PlayerupdateMon, 14 Nov 2011 21:12:00 -050021|20106372http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/paypal-direct-nfc-payments-to-android-app-lets-you-p2p-your-lun/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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It's another nail in the coffin of expensive, dirty, smelly physical cash and coins. PayPal has released the 3.0 version of its Android app and, through that, users can directly exchange money from one NFC-equipped phone to another. Just add the Request Money widget to your (probably already rather cluttered) desktop, type in an amount, then pick up your Nexus S and do a little fist bump with your best bro's celly -- assuming said bro has a similarly near field communication-equipped Android device. Of course, you can still use Bump to exchange cash if you like, but neither that nor NFC will ensure your friend will ever actually pay you back. Maybe that's something Bluetooth 4.0 can manage.

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Jealous of your iOS-carrying companions who have been blasting Asteroids for months on their handsets and tablets? Prepare to quell your rage, as Atari has announced that its Greatest Hits app has launched for Android devices. Surpassing 3.5 million downloads in the iTunes App Store, the company has expanded the offering to Google OS faithful -- and it'll come with Missile Command for free, along with a 100 title catalog looking back on 30 years of gaming. Once you grab that install, you'll have your pick of 25 game packs for a buck each or you can spring for the whole lot for a cool Hamilton. The app is available now for both tablet and smartphone users, should you prefer a larger screen when your Centipede addiction strikes. For a full list of titles, hit the PR button after the break before checking things out for yourself in the Market.

We're pretty excited about Google Wallet, but the service is currently only available for Nexus S 4G phone owners, leaving most of you waiting for broader implementation. Well, how would you like to skip the line, getting to test it out on a Nexus S 4G of your very own? Google has supplied us with five phones to give away -- the company is even throwing in $1,000 (yes, one THOUSAND dollars) of prepaid credit to help fund those first few dozen taps. There's one catch: you'll need to use your Nexus S 4G with a Sprint plan, though the carrier is throwing in one month of demo service to get you started. Check out our in-depth preview for a detailed look at the service, and simply leave a comment after the break to be entered to win -- after checking that you meet the entry requirements, of course.

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4gamerican expressAmericanExpressandroidandroid marketandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceappblinkcitibankcontactlesscontactless paymentsContactlessPaymentscontestcredit cardcredit cardsCreditCardCreditCardsGifgift cardgift cardsGiftCardGiftCardsgive awaygiveawayGoogleNexusSGoogleOffersGoogleWalletimpressionsisismacesmastercardmastercard paypassMastercardPaypassmobile appmobile paymentmobile paymentsMobileAppMobilePaymentMobilePaymentsmobilepostcrossmotorolanear field communicationNearFieldCommunicationnexusnexus primenexus snexus s 4gNexusPrimeNexusSNexusS4gnfcnfc chipNfcChipofferspaymentpaymentspaypasspreviewpurchasepurchasessamsungsamsung nexus s 4gSamsungNexusS4gsecure elementSecureElementsweepstakestransactiontransactionsvideovisawallTue, 20 Sep 2011 16:25:00 -040021|20047885http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/a-week-with-google-wallet-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Contactless payments have been something of a curiosity in the credit card industry. MasterCard's PayPass has been around for the better part of a decade, but merchants and banks alike seem hesitant to adopt the technology required to make the system work, and inconsistent implementation adds to the confusion -- particularly for customers. Google's new mobile phone-based Wallet service has the potential to transform the technology from its current status as a transaction turkey, to a future as a checkout champion. But will it work? We spent a week with a Wallet-enabled Nexus S 4G, using the device to pay whenever we encountered a MasterCard PayPass terminal. Unfortunately, that wasn't often enough, limiting us to just a handful of transactions in the first week. Still, with Google just beginning to roll out the service and only a limited selection of launch partners ready to go, it's impossible to deliver a complete verdict just yet. Jump past the break for an inside look at Google Wallet, including a video of the service in action, and a brief look at what the world of contactless payments may look like in the future.

Updates can be somewhat of an addiction to the Android faithful -- just peep those XDA forums. And even though this particular Google upgrade isn't exactly the Ice Cream Sandwich of our Autumn dreams, it's still a noteworthy bump to the oft-usedMaps app. Bundled up in version 5.10.0 are two minor, but useful tweaks that'll display your four and five star rated Places, as well as letting you tack a photo onto your review. We managed to download the update directly to our phone, but last we checked, the web-based marketplace still hadn't refreshed with the latest offering. Make sure to hit the source link below to keep your Gapps up to snuff.

Apparently, folks in the US love gaming on their mobile devices and really don't mind forking over dead presidents to do so. That's according to a recent 30-day study by Nielsen pertaining to apps across mobile platforms. The company found gaming apps to be the most popular in that period, citing that 64 percent of users played and 93 percent would pay to play. The average amount of time spent gaming was 7.8 hours, although iOS users took the award for most dedicated by nearly doubling that to 14.7 hours. Android loyalists followed with 9.3 hours of fun times, but those with BlackBerry, Windows, and "feature phones" kept things closer to business hitting under five hours each. Also notable, is that people rocking Berries and dumbphones usually opted for pre-installed games over downloads. You'll find the full breakdown by hitting the source link, and we'll get back to besting our Real Racing 2 lap times.

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androidandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketplaceapp storeAppStoreblackberry app worldBlackBerry OSBlackberryAppWorldBlackberryOsgamingiosmobile gamingMobileGamingnielsennielsen studynielsen wirenielsen-gamesNielsenStudyNielsenWireRIM BlackberryRimBlackberrysmartphoneswindows marketplacewindows phonewindows phone marketplaceWindowsMarketplaceWindowsPhoneWindowsPhoneMarketplaceThu, 07 Jul 2011 06:14:00 -040021|19985011http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/10/android-market-web-store-now-checks-app-device-compatibility-wh/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Google has already made some tough moves to tackle fragmentation, but it's clearly still wary of the problem. It's just tweaked the Android Market web store to show users which apps are compatible with which of their gadgets. Of course, compatibility screening was already in place for users who accessed the Market from within their device, but this update should still be of use to those who surf the web store, especially if they're rocking multiple handsets or a phone-plus-tablet combo.

HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break.

Update: Sorry Android users, but it looks like the only supported versions for the Android app are 2.1 - 2.3.3. However, we're getting reports that it does function in the browser -- so long as you've got Flash installed, of course. We're also told that the HBO Go site works just fine on the PlayBook as well.

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androidandroid appandroid marketandroid marketplaceAndroidAppAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceapp storeappleAppStorehands onhands-onHandsOnhbohbo goHboGoipadipad appIpadAppiphoneiphone appIphoneAppitunes app storeItunesAppStorevideoFri, 29 Apr 2011 13:44:00 -040021|19927960http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/04/samsung-smart-touch-android-remote-app-is-now-available-for-down/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Great news, channel surfers -- Samsung's Smart Touch Android remote application is now finally available in the Android Marketplace as a free download nearly nine months after originally launching on iOS. If you dropped a hefty quantity of cheddar on a new model C Samsung Internet TV in 2010 (those with older models are out of luck) and can't wait for your Android handset to assimilate yet another life-task, today could be momentous. We say 'could' simply because our CES hands-on with the software wasn't exactly swell -- but then again, a massive trade show floor isn't exactly the best WiFi testing environment. Currently, the application has an average of four stars from 25 people, but it's not completely free from a smattering of crash and error reports. Feel free to give it a whirl if you've got the necessary gear, and if that match made in couch-potato heaven feeling doesn't come... well, don't give up hope, because that dual-sided QWERTY remote could save the day soon.

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androidandroid appsandroid marketandroid marketplaceandroid marketplace web storeAndroidAppsAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceAndroidMarketplaceWebStoreappapplicationsappscontrolcontrollerremoteremote controlsRemoteControlsremotessamsungsamsung internet tvSamsung Smart TVSamsungInternetTvSamsungSmartTvSmart TVsmart tv appsmartphonesmartphonesSmartTvSmartTvAppFri, 04 Feb 2011 16:57:00 -050021|19829022http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/android-market-web-store-hands-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Google's new Android Market web store is a pretty awesome and simple idea in theory -- browse and buy apps through the web, hit install, and watch them appear on your Android phone or tablet. Of course, there are a lot of things that could go wrong along the way, but that's certainly not what we're finding in our early use. Sure, it took Google some time to turn on the login function after opening up for business this afternoon, but once we were finally able to log in, we were installing apps right and left, and then watching them almost instantly "or automagically" pop up on our Motorola Droid 2 Global and Dell Streak 7. (You can actually select which device you'd like to download the app to.) Yep, it's pretty convenient stuff.

The web store interface itself is simply laid out, and just like the mobile app, it's easy to find apps by searching or just browsing the categories listed on the left rail. However, there's no doubt that selling apps is top of mind now for Google -- it's no coincidence that in each category, the Market defaults to showing paid apps on the first tab and free ones the second. In addition, Games has been moved up to the top of the category list, and considering games are one of the most popular paid app categories, it clearly makes those racing and arcade titles hard to pass by. Speaking of forking over money for apps, you can do just that through the web store checkout process -- put in your credit card right on your computer screen, save for later use (if that's your thing), and you're good to go shopping. Now just give us carrier billing and we'll be all set. We could go on and on, but that would just be boring -- try it out for yourself and let us know in the comments if you encounter any glitches.

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androidandroid marketAndroid Market web storeandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceAndroidMarketWebStoreapp storeapplicationsappsAppStorehands-onMarketmarketplaceWebweb storeWebStoreWed, 02 Feb 2011 16:20:00 -050021|19825846http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/android-market-gets-a-web-store/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Google's Android Market now has a web client. Finally! And guess what else, it's already live. Hit the source link below to get exploring. It's very simple, really, you can browse the entire Market catalog on your desktop or however else you're accessing the web, you can purchase anything that takes your fancy, and then -- via the magic of over-the-air transfers -- it downloads and installs onto your Android handset. A neat My Market Account section will let you nickname your registered devices to make them more recognizable as well.

Google has also just announced that Android will soon support in-app purchases. Widespread developer interest has been cited as the major reason for doing it, so you've got those lovable coders to thank for the oncoming wave of micropayments you'll have to deal with in your Android apps. The in-app purchasing SDK is releasing to devs today and will be "live to users prior to the end of this quarter."

Update: Invalid request. Yep, that's the message we keep getting when we try and download an app. Google promises that it should be working soon...

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androidandroid marketandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceapp storeapplicationsappsAppStorebreaking newsBreakingNewsgooglegoogle androidGoogleAndroidin-appin-app purchasesIn-appPurchasesinternetmarketwebweb clientweb storeWebClientwebsiteWebStoreWed, 02 Feb 2011 13:33:00 -050021|19825741http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19/kongregate-app-pulled-from-android-marketplace-ceo-hopes-its-j/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We've heard of apps getting 187'd from the iTunes App Store ad nauseum, but Google's Android Marketplace? That's pretty novel. In what is probably the most high profile bait-and-switch since the mobile platform's launch, Kongregate found its eponymous software pulled on the very same day it came out. As CEO Jim Greer tells Joystiq, the app was pulled due to the "claim you can't use their app store to distribute another app store." Which is all well and good until you realize that what Kongregate the app does is simply serve as a portal for Kongregrate the mobile site -- Greer says it's the same experience as visiting m.kongregate.com to play its free Flash games -- with the option for offline mode. "It's all essentially cached content delivered in a browser," he said, "which to me is just bizarre that that would be considered an 'app store,'" he said.

The Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement says, "you may not use the Market to distribute or make available any Product whose primary purpose is to facilitate the distribution of Products outside of the Market," with Product defined broadly as "Software, content and digital materials created for Devices in accordance with the Android SDK and distributed via the Market." When we talked to Google, the company pointed out the same clause and said, "Applications in violation of our policies (like Kongregate) are removed from Android Market."

Greer adds that a number of people in Google had seen it previously and liked the app (not the ones who ultimately pulled it), and he hopes this is all some grand misunderstanding. We'll see, but in the meantime, the app is still available for side loading care of Kongregate's website. Nothing like a backup plan, eh?

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adobe flashAdobeFlashandroidandroid marketandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceflashgooglegoogle androidGoogleAndroidkongregatemarketmarket placeMarketPlaceWed, 19 Jan 2011 22:40:00 -050021|19807835http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/11/android-market-update-streamlines-content-nukes-tabs-dismantle/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Updates have been coming fast and furious to Google's Android Market for a coupleweeks now, but this is the biggest shift yet -- that rusty tab-based interface is out, replaced with a rotating carousel of downloadable content, and a single scrolling pane of info for each and every app. What's more, it seems that Mountain View has heard the cries of game companies in particular, as it's got a couple of very special changes largely targeted at them -- the size cap on individual apps has been upped to 50MB, and Android Market's famous 24-hour return policy is no more. You'll still have 15 minutes to decide whether you want a piece of software or prefer a refund, perhaps long enough to give it a basic test, but there's no longer enough time to finish a game in one sitting before slyly giving it a pass. There's also a number of behind-the-scenes changes that should help make sure you only see apps your device can actually run, based on screen size, pixel density and OpenGL support. Google's pushing the update to every Android 1.6-and-above device over the next couple of weeks, so you can expect your app purchasing world to turn upside-down in time for Christmas cheer.

Update: There are also two new categories being added: widgets and live wallpapers.

Update 2: Of course, no self-respecting hacker waits for an OTA to get what they can sideload right now, and so XDA-developers is now distributing the new Android Market APK -- we'd suggest you give it a try too, but we're hearing that some folks are having difficulty downloading apps at all after the update. Still, the folks at Android Police seem to have it working, and have taken a host of screenshots of the interface. Go give them a peek at our more coverage link.

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AndroidAndroid Marketandroid marketplaceAndroid OSAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceAndroidOsapp storeappsAppStoreGooglemarketmarketplacereturnreturn policyReturnPolicyreturnssoftware updateSoftwareUpdateupdateSat, 11 Dec 2010 11:29:00 -050021|19756590http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/people-of-lava-launches-scandinavia-android-tv-melts-home-theat/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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After teasing us with its cool hardware and even cooler name last spring, Swedish TV maker People of Lava has now launched what it claims is the world's first Android-powered TV -- that is if you don't count Korea's Smartroi TV running Android 1.5. Its top-of-the-line 55-inch models cost a wallet-singeing 40,000 Swedish Krona (or roughly $5,820) and ship with Android 1.5 along with widgets for Google Chrome, Facebook, YouTube and Google Maps. They also have access to an app store which currently only includes 20 titles, but could grow to more than 1,000 by the end of the year -- since according to marketing director Martin Ljunggren, the store should import any app now in the Android Market that's scalable to a TV screen. That's a feat we're curious to see given Android's difficultly scaling apps even to tablet screens -- but hey, what do we know? In terms of sales, People of Lava hopes to move $29 million dollars worth of Scandinavia units in 2011, in both Sweden and niche US and UK markets. Overall that's great news for the tech savvy well-to-do, but considering Mountain Vew's focus on Google TV, we're not sure how long these Android TVs will be around.

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androidandroid 1.5android appsandroid marketandroid marketplaceandroid tvAndroid TVsAndroid1.5AndroidAppsAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceAndroidTvAndroidTvsPeople of LavaPeopleOfLavascandinaviascandinavia tvScandinaviaTvset top boxset top boxesSetTopBoxSetTopBoxesSmart TVSmart TVsSmartRoiSmartRoi TVSmartroiTvSmartTvSmartTvsTue, 16 Nov 2010 02:49:00 -050021|19716801http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/12/new-archos-tablets-get-android-marketplace-hack-works-as-promis/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Our biggest complaint about the variety of Archos tablets? The lack of the Android Market, of course. But while you've been able to sideload the Market apk on lots of these devices, there were apparently compatibility issues with Archos' new Android 2.1 / 2.2 tablets (like the Archos 32 we reviewed just a few weeks). But fear not: ArchosFans to the rescue! A forum member successfully complied a new gApps4Archos.apk that can be easily sideloaded, and installed to give you access to all that Google app and Marketplace goodness. Obviously, we whipped out our 32 and tried it out ourselves. We did have a few issues at first -- you must have the latest 1.0.70 firmware and we had to reboot a few times to successfully connect to Google's servers -- but we were finally able to log into our Gmail and download Pandora. If you're adventurous enough to try it out for yourself, we'd suggest hitting the source link and getting to it. Oh, and feel free to let us know how it goes in the comments.

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androidandroid 2.1android marketandroid marketplaceAndroid2.1AndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceapkarchosArchos 101Archos 101 Internet Tabletarchos 32Archos 32 Internet TabletArchos Internet TabletArchos101Archos101InternetTabletArchos32Archos32InternetTabletArchosInternetTablethands-onMarketplace hackMarketplaceHackTue, 12 Oct 2010 12:51:00 -040021|19670658http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/22/android-developer-claims-admob-pays-as-well-or-better-than-tradi/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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In February 2009, Arron La's $0.99 Advanced Task Manager was one of the first paid apps on Android, allowing T-Mobile G1 users to do what was then a novel thing -- close applications. (We immediately bought a copy.) Today, the app is all but obsolete, its functionality baked right into Android's core, but Arron's still making thousands of dollars a month. Why do we bring this up? Because nine months after Arron released the pay-first version, he unleashed an ad-supported variant as well... and since that day, each has contributed about the same amount ($30,000) of money. It's not exactly an object lesson in what's possible on the 70,000-application-strong Android Market, as this gentleman obviously had quite the head start, but it does show that when it comes time to monetize your best-thing-since-sliced-bread app, there's more than one option -- ads can be an equally good revenue source. Find rays of hope for indie development (and several stormy clouds for comparison) at the links below.
Update: Did we say 50,000 apps? We meant more like 70K and counting as of July. Thanks to the astute commenters who pointed this out.

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admobadsAdvanced Task ManagerAdvancedTaskManageradvertisingAndroidandroid marketandroid marketplaceAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceappsArron LaArronLagooglepaid applicationspaid appspaid contentPaidApplicationsPaidAppsPaidContentrevenuerevenuesSun, 22 Aug 2010 23:59:00 -040021|19603491http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/skype-mobile-with-video-support-coming-to-android-market-later-t/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Skype's PR folks have been unusually loquacious today, as they've responded to a query about whether HTC's EVO 4G would get a Skype client with a deep and meaningful forward-looking statement, underpinned by a promise of an Android app "for all consumers globally to download regardless of carriers." This universally available addition to the Market should arrive "later this year," but what's important about it is that it's preceded by a lengthy spiel about Skype's ambition to "set the bar on mobile video calling," which it also intends to do this year. Does this necessarily mean that Skype video calling is coming to Android in time for us to wish granny happy Hanukkah over video chat? No. Is it a well constructed insinuation to that effect? Hell yes. Read the full statement at the source, or find the juiciest excerpt after the break.

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androidandroid marketandroid marketplaceandroid osAndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceAndroidOsappapplicationappsevo 4gEvo4ggooglehtc evo 4gHtcEvo4gskypeskype mobileSkypeMobilevideo callingVideoCallingvoipFri, 28 May 2010 06:39:00 -040021|19495153http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-adding-over-the-air-app-installation-and-itunes-streaming/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Sure sure, Froyo is great and all, but Google just blew our minds with two previews of upcoming Android features at I/O: OTA application installation and remote music streaming. OTA installation is just as simple as you'd expect -- after browsing to an app on your desktop, you can push it to your phone and install it with just a single click, all done over the air. Interestingly, Google also showed music being purchased and transferred from Android Marketplace in the same way, which could indicate a deeper push towards music integration, or just be a nice demo. Either way, it's pretty slick stuff -- the fewer wires we have to carry, the better.

The remote music streaming is a little crazier: Google bought a company called Simplify Media, which makes a bit of desktop software that can stream all your music directly from iTunes to your phone. The demo was quite slick -- you just open the app and push "all," and all your music is instantly available. Whether or not this'll work over 3G or be limited to the local network is still up in the air, but we're dying to try it out.

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android 2.1android 2.2android marketandroid marketplaceAndroid2.1Android2.2AndroidMarketAndroidMarketplaceapplicationbreaking newsBreakingNewsfroyogooglegoogle io 2010GoogleIo2010installationitunesmarketmarket placeMarketPlacemusicotaota installationOtaInstallationsimplify mediaSimplifyMediastreamingThu, 20 May 2010 12:17:00 -040021|19485194http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/18/seven-shows-off-android-e-mail-client-at-mwc-may-or-may-not-be/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We know Sprint's been eyeing the G1 and that it's getting Samsung's Android phone by June, but if mobile software vendor SEVEN has anything to do with it, we now know a bit more about the device's e-mail client as well. Sprint's already a fan of the company's other offerings, and we anticipate they had something to do with this new Android version. The app uses SEVEN's push tech to get your e-mail almost instantaneously -- something that offline-enabled mobile Gmail probably can't do. Planned support for calendars, social networking, and instant messaging make this all the more enticing. A rep from the outfit promises that we'll see partnerships on "more than just Sprint in 2009" and we definitely hope this thing trickles down to the Android Marketplace in due time. There're a bunch more shots over at the read link, so if you're interested be sure to check them out.